These days it is Ethernet everywhere. Most of the other competing LAN technologies have faded away. Looking back from this point in time, it may seem that Ethernet was the inevitable winner. That wasn’t always the case.

The panel will take a close look at the market factors that helped and hurt the eventual LAN market winners and losers. The purpose is to see if there are lessons for the current day. Token Ring and FDDI will be compared and contrasted with Ethernet during the 1985 to 1995 time period.

It is the moderator’s thesis that picking the winners and losers in wired LAN technologies is at least as difficult as knowing at any moment what play will win a football game.

Moderate kibitzing from the audience will be tolerated, as time permits.

If you want a study text in order to prepare for this session, the book “The Triumph of Ethernet” by Urs von Burg (Stanford University Press, ISBN 0-8047-4095-X) is recommended.